


All the Things He Said

by LuckyLadybug



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Genre: Canon Era, Character Study, During Canon, Friendship, Gen, Male Friendship, Near Death Experiences, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:22:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29774049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuckyLadybug/pseuds/LuckyLadybug
Summary: Crash Town is still recovering, and Kalin finds that all the residents are dealing with their own pain, from the former Malcolm Crewmembers to Radley's Bunch to Radley himself.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 1





	All the Things He Said

**Author's Note:**

> The characters are not mine and the story is! It was written with the partial inspiration of the 31 Days prompt from February 28th 2021, The Things They Left Behind. This is a follow-up to The Night After, but it may be able to be read as a stand-alone. It takes place right after the events of the Crash Town arc. I portray Radley as a fairly nice person, because to me he doesn't come across as a slimeball like the Malcolm brothers. Billy is meant to be the kid who talks to Radley in the saloon after Kalin leaves and later is willing to duel his friend when Barbara tries to force them into it.

The newly named Satisfaction Town was swiftly getting on its feet again after Lawton had tried to destroy it. The townspeople were united as they had never been before, no longer held back by fear as they rebuilt the businesses that had been damaged by Lawton's explosives. Even the members of Radley's gang and the former hired hands of Malcolm's were pitching in. While the higher-ups in Malcolm's Crew had been cruel and twisted and had been taken to the Facility, many of the low-level gang members were not truly malicious and Trudge had let them stay there as part of their rehabilitation. There was still distrust between them and Radley's men, however; Radley's people were not about to forget what Malcolm's Crew had done to their leader, and the former Crewmembers expected vengeance to be taken out on them.

Kalin sighed as he headed down the wooden sidewalk that late afternoon and saw two opposing gang members glowering at each other as they hammered away on a railing. Radley's man in particular looked like he wanted to put the hammer through the Malcolm Crewmember's head instead of on a nail.

"This is coming along well," Kalin said, directing their attention back to the railing.

"Thanks," the Malcolm Crewmember said quietly.

Kalin looked from him to the other boy—Billy, as Kalin recalled. He had been a good kid who had been particularly devoted to Radley. But when Radley had lost to Lawton without a fair chance to duel, Billy had ended up serving Malcolm. He had even been willing to duel a friend to try to stay in town and not be sent to the mines himself. Kalin had been sickened when he had got back to town and found that scene. He still didn't know quite what to think of Billy's behavior, and yet he knew he was in no position to judge considering his own sins.

Billy put down the hammer and ran over to Kalin. "How is he?!" he demanded.

Kalin knew of course who Billy meant. "He's doing alright," he assured the kid. "He's recovering extremely well for someone who suffered his injuries."

Billy shifted. "When the news got out . . . when we heard he'd been tortured to death in the mines, some of the guys cried," he said softly.

"I know he'd like to see you," Kalin said. "Some of the boys have been around, but not you, and not some of the others."

"I can't face him." Billy looked away. "The guys who were forced to serve Malcolm as guards in the mountain . . . we saw him being tortured and we didn't know what to do. If we'd protested, we would have got it too." He shut his eyes tightly. "We were all cowards. We loved him, and we let him down when he needed us! One of the guys . . . he wasn't on a shift, but he went up to the mountain to see what was happening and he saw the body before he was taken away. He just lost it and fell down in tears, asking forgiveness for abandoning him. But there was no going back from what happened. H-He was still dead, and he might not have been if any of us had been man enough to help him!"

". . . I know firsthand about feeling too horrible to face the ones you hurt," Kalin said. "But they're more forgiving than we might think. Yusei forgave me. I believe Radley would forgive you and the others. No, there's no going back. But Yusei taught me there is a going forward."

Billy slowly turned back to face him. "I . . . I'll talk to the others," he said quietly. "We want to see him, but . . . you're right, we don't feel worthy."

"And I think some of the guys Malcolm had working for him were pretty horrified when they realized what they'd actually signed up for with him," Kalin said. He nodded to the Crewmember still at the railing. "Malcolm wouldn't let any of them go. Really, they're probably a lot like you."

Billy frowned. "I guess."

"Just remember, they didn't have any involvement with hurting anyone," Kalin said. "That's why they were allowed to go free."

Billy blinked back tears. "The guys and me . . . are probably guiltier than they are," he said. "We just stood by and let someone we cared about suffer and die! We didn't know they were really going to kill him, but . . ." He trembled. "We saw he was suffering and we didn't help. . . ."

Kalin's eyes filled with understanding. "It's a horrible feeling," he acknowledged.

Billy stepped back. "I'd better get back to work."

"Any time you want to talk, I'm here," Kalin offered.

Billy just nodded. "Thanks."

Sighing again, Kalin walked on. But he hadn't got far when the Malcolm Crewmember ran up to him too. ". . . Did you mean what you said?" he asked. "About us, I mean. . . ."

"Yes," Kalin said. "I meant it." He gave the boy a hard look. "Is it true?"

"It is." The kid shifted. He didn't look much older than Billy. "I and a lot of the others . . . we didn't have anywhere to go and we heard about the Malcolm Crew and signed up. We thought we'd be doing real work, maybe working on a ranch or something else fun. We never knew he just wanted people to help him take over a town and bully everyone. When we heard about conditions in his part of the mine, we were just sick. But we'd signed up and he wouldn't let us go."

Kalin nodded. "That's what I thought."

The boy looked sad. "We didn't have anything to do with what happened to Radley, but his guys will never forgive us, will they? Just because we rode with the Malcolm Crew. . . ."

"It will probably take them some time before they know whether to trust you," Kalin said. "I think as far as forgiveness goes, it's themselves they truly hate."

"But . . . how can the town heal like this?" His voice was very small. "There's so many of us here, we make up a lot of the population. . . ."

"It can't heal until all of you can get yourselves straightened out," Kalin said. "It's going to take time." He paused. "What's your name?"

"Rick, sir."

"It's not ‘sir,' it's just Kalin," Kalin insisted. "I'll keep you and the others in mind. Just keep pulling together putting the buildings back in order and hopefully that will go a long way in showing that you're all sincere. I'll keep insisting that you're not like the sadistic leaders and guards in the Malcolm Crew. Prove me right."

"Yes, sir . . . Kalin!" Rick snapped to attention. "Thank you." He smiled a bit, shyly. "I'll tell the others that you believe in us."

"You do that," Kalin said.

He was deep in thought as he started walking again. Crash Town had always been a haven for lost souls. He himself was one. But now that he was finding himself, he had to help others do the same. It was definitely a monumental task. Having gone through what he had, he honestly wondered how Billy and the others could live with themselves.

He walked to the end of the sidewalk and looked towards the mountain. For so long it had been an ominous force looming over the town. Now it stood silent, the dyne mine not currently in operation. The town would be set in order first. Then they would figure out how to go about re-opening the mine. Hopefully the mountain could become a symbol of prosperity and goodness and not always be a haunting blight. It held years of future for the town, if used properly.

The sun would be setting soon, he mused. And for the first time in ages, there would be no duels.

He turned away. It had been a long day of helping out on the various projects around town—both the buildings and the workers' feelings. Now he had to go check on the kids . . . and on his friend.

****

_They were trapped in the mines again, all wearing the inhumane shock collars so favored by the Malcolm Crew. For a while they worked, using their picks over and over in the rocky walls to seek nuggets of dyne. The cruel taskmasters were always there, always watching, often cracking their whips to get their slaves to move faster._

_Radley was the first to slip up. As the pick fell from his sore hands, the guard snarled in annoyance. "You! You've caused trouble for us for the last time!" The whip cracked on his back, but before he could so much as react, the shock collar was turned on as well. He screamed and reached up, tugging desperately on the device._

_"Radley!" Kalin ran to him, but not soon enough. He collapsed on the ground, lifeless._

_Yusei had also stopped working, distracted and horrified by the scene. But then his collar was turned on as well and he gasped, choking as it pulled taut against his throat while continuing to shock him._

_"No!" Kalin screamed. "Yusei . . . !"_

_Yusei's eyes went dead and he also fell at Kalin's feet._

_The fight leaving him completely, Kalin crashed to his knees in the midst of his dead friends._

Kalin gasped, breathing heavily as he started awake. The gruesome scene was gone, replaced by the reality of the room at the small Satisfaction Town hospital. Kalin was laying on the second bed in the room that night, not because he was a patient, but because he was keeping a patient company.

He looked over at the other bed. Radley was very much alive but asleep, his dark hair spread out on the white pillowcase. He still looked pale, but the color was gradually coming back to his face.

Kalin sighed and rolled back, gazing up at the ceiling. Radley was alive, but he almost hadn't been. He had been left behind in the mines and had indeed been tortured to death while trying to get help for Nico and West's father Jordan. Every time Kalin slept now, he saw Radley lying dead. Now the nightmare had expanded to include Yusei as well.

Kalin turned onto his side. He had been so focused on punishing himself for his sins that he hadn't even thought about the other people who might suffer because of his quest. Yusei could have been tortured if he hadn't been so handy with a loose nail, and Radley . . . if Radley hadn't come back . . .

Radley jumped in the other bed. His green eyes flew open and he laid there, staring at the ceiling as his breathing slowed down to normal. He had just awakened from a nightmare as well; it was all too contagious. Kalin was just debating whether to say something when Radley abruptly rolled onto his side and propped himself up on an elbow. "Hey, Kalin . . . you're still here?"

Kalin looked over at him. "Yes. . . ."

Radley pulled the blanket up a bit; he was wearing a tank top and looked slightly cold. "How ironic. . . . The boys I thought were my friends abandoned me out of fear when Lawton took over. And you, who didn't want a thing to do with me before, suddenly decided you wanted to be friends after all."

Kalin slowly sat up. Radley seemed to be in a fairly good mood right now, but there was a note of sadness in his voice. "I'm sorry about the others," he said. "And I'm sorry I treated you so badly. I wasn't in any shape for friends; I wasn't much better with Yusei." He looked away. "In the past, I was far worse."

Radley sighed. "Most of the boys haven't been around at all," he lamented. "Do you think they just don't care? Or are they like you and they feel swallowed up by guilt? Maybe they think it's better to stay away from me."

"I would guess the latter," Kalin said. "Billy stopped me on the street today and asked about you. He definitely felt guilty. He said that when the details of what happened came out, some of the guys cried."

"Hmm. I suppose that was especially true of the ones who were made Malcolm's prisoners, as we were," Radley said. "And the ones I found who were forced to become his guards. I asked many of them to help me and they were too afraid of Lawton, Billy included."

"That would absolutely weigh on them, especially later," Kalin said, thinking of Billy's story.

Radley sighed and laid back down, gazing at the ceiling. "I was never like the Malcolms, but I certainly haven't been squeaky clean either. I participated in gathering new labor by dueling."

"You didn't mistreat them, though," Kalin said.

"Still, though . . . Sector Security is actually going to let me go?" Radley looked skeptical. "I was selfish and greedy. I can't even say that getting help for Jordan was entirely altruistic. I couldn't stay in the mines anymore. I wanted out any way I could get it. And I'd only been there hours." He gripped the blanket. "I'm a hypocrite. I sent people there months ago to work."

"Malcolm's Crew admitted they were hurting you worse because you were the leader of the opposition," Kalin said. "They were deliberately trying to kill you to further break the spirits of everyone who loved you. It's no wonder you couldn't take it for long."

Radley stared at him in shock. "That's what I thought they were doing at first, but then I managed to convince myself that I was just weak and couldn't stand the same punishment they'd been doling out to others over months."

"You were not weak," Kalin insisted. "Trudge had your shock collar examined. The amount of current they were putting through it would have killed anybody."

"Well . . ." Radley sighed. "That's some consolation, I guess. Although I'm not sure I could have stood working there under the regular conditions Malcolm imposed either." He stared down at his hands, still sore from the time he had spent working a pick. "It was worse than I'd even thought. There were so many people all around me who were sick, or hurt, and the guards did nothing to help any of them. They just cracked their whips, or used their shock collars, and . . ." He trailed off, sickened. "I'll never get the images of what I saw out of my mind. It's because they lost while dueling for me that they were even there."

"Everyone knew what they were getting into," Kalin said. "Jordan taught me that. Some of your miners have even said that when the mine re-opens again, honestly, they'd be happy to work there again. None of Malcolm's miners feel that way. You treated yours like human beings and they haven't forgotten that. And yes, Sector Security is going to let you go, for that and also because of saving Jordan. Someone still has to manage the mine. I want you for that job, if you want it."

Radley rose up, staring at him again. "You mean that, Kalin?"

Kalin nodded. "There's no law enforcement or even a mayor here in town, so at least for now, I'm taking over those positions and I can hire whomever I want to help clean up the town."

Radley smiled a bit but still looked bewildered. "Imagine that—Kalin actually wanting to get involved, and wanting me involved. It's still going to take some getting used to."

Kalin sighed. "It will for me too," he said. "It's been so long."

". . . You said you'd been suffering with depression and self-hatred," Radley remembered. "That's why you behaved the way you did and wanted to lose?"

"Yes," Kalin said.

"I can't even fathom that kind of mindset," Radley said. "What could you have possibly done to cause you to want to force yourself to suffer to the death for it?"

"I joined an evil organization bent on the world's destruction because I was so consumed by the need to take revenge on Yusei for betraying me," Kalin said. "Only he never did. I had the truth upsidedown and backwards. I'm the one who betrayed him."

Radley stared at him. ". . . I don't know what to say," he admitted.

"Who would?" Kalin grunted. "Yusei would tell you that I was manipulated and taken advantage of when I was a scared, messed-up kid, and that I was corrupted by the evil magic force so I wasn't entirely myself . . . but I didn't feel any of that made it any better."

". . . Do you still hate yourself?" Radley asked.

". . . I hate what I did," Kalin said carefully. "I probably always will. But . . . I finally realized that I can be a good person now, and that I want to be. I want to make something of my life and help people again, not just wallow in self-hatred. Nico and West saw good in me when I couldn't see it in myself, and waking up to that realization made me finally open to the idea that they might be right."

"That's good," Radley said. "I knew there must have been some dark secret in your past. That's what brings most people out here, trying to escape their old lives. But I had no idea what it was."

"It's not your standard dark secret," Kalin said dryly. He hesitated. "Did you have one that brought you here?"

Radley looked away. "My family never accepted me. My great-grandparents immigrated here from Spain decades earlier. The family is very powerful and prestigious . . . and traditional. I really don't fit in."

Kalin eyed the long hair and jewelry. If there was one thing Radley wasn't, it was traditional.

"I left to find my own path and to live my life the way I wanted," Radley continued. "They told me I could never come back unless I cut my hair and ditched the jewelry and the motorcycle."

"That's terrible," Kalin said, appalled.

"I've always thought so. I believe that family should always be there for you. Before long I started gathering people who were interested in following me and I felt like I finally had a family again. I also wanted to make money; I'd been cut off from the family fortunes. When I heard about the dyne mines here, I thought that was made to order. Of course, every other enterprising soul in the area felt the same. I held out, and Malcolm held out, and eventually we were the only two still here. It was Malcolm's idea to set up the duels. I wasn't willing to give up what I thought would be my show of power, so I agreed."

"Do you regret it?" Kalin wondered.

"I don't know," Radley frowned. "My hypocrisy bothers me, though. I was willing to send people to the mines, but I certainly didn't want to go there myself."

"Like I said, they knew what they were getting into," Kalin said. "They agreed to go there if they lost. You didn't think you'd ever get into a duel yourself because you didn't want to. You had no idea Lawton would force you into it and then beat you unfairly in one move."

"No, I didn't," Radley wryly admitted. "But I feel like a lost soul myself now. Experiencing what Malcolm put people through in the mines was horrifying. I know I shouldn't have agreed to his plan about dueling for new labor. Even if they knew what they were getting into, it shouldn't have been done."

"Then you're a better person for what you went through," Kalin said. "I think you do regret what you did."

Radley ran a hand into his hair. "I guess you can look at it that way."

Kalin hesitated longer. "Now that you know the truth about me, do you feel differently about me than you did?"

"I don't know what I think," Radley said. "You make a lot more sense to me now. And who you are now definitely isn't who you were then. You care about me. The old Kalin didn't. I accepted all of the others' dark secrets when they became part of the team. There's no reason why I shouldn't accept yours as well."

Kalin smiled a bit.

"Kalin . . ."

"What?"

". . . I was really dead?" Radley suddenly asked in a small voice.

Kalin blinked a bit in surprise at the abrupt shift in topic. But in retrospect, he supposed it wasn't that surprising. Such a thing would definitely be traumatizing after the fact.

"Yes," he said quietly.

"And now I'm alive." Radley stared down at his hand.

". . . Was that what your nightmare was about—being dead?" Kalin asked.

"Being tortured to death," Radley replied.

". . . I dream about being dead sometimes," Kalin said.

"Were you really?" Radley asked. "West said you were."

"Yes, I was," Kalin said. "Actually, I died twice. I had to die to be taken over by the evil force. It became my lifeforce. My spirit was still there, but it was buried under the hatred and rage that fueled my actions."

"That's . . . disturbing," Radley said.

"I know," Kalin sighed. "Then later, when Yusei defeated me, the Netherworld took me. I stayed there until the ringleaders of the Dark Signer movement, the Goodwin brothers, decided to sacrifice themselves to restore the Dark Signers to life."

"And you remember being dead?" Radley looked to him. ". . . Were you in Hell?"

"It might have been an in-between place," Kalin said. "But yes, I remember. All the Dark Signers were there, and other lost souls. We all just sort of . . . wandered, each person wrapped up in their own thoughts and sins. I finally found Carly Carmine, a nice girl who hadn't joined the Dark Signers willingly. She was trying to be brave, but she was so afraid. I should have tried to comfort her, but I was too devastated by the weight of what I'd done."

"It must be horrible to remember all of that." Radley shuddered.

"It's worse remembering my sins," Kalin said. "When I was in the Netherworld, I felt it was just punishment."

Radley looked away. ". . . I didn't just dream about being tortured to death," he said quietly. "I dreamed about . . . after."

Kalin looked back with a start. "You said before that you were lost in the darkness until you heard a voice talking to you," he said. "That's what you dreamed about?"

"No." Radley closed his eyes and shook his head. "That came . . . after-after. When I . . . died, I also remember leaving my body and walking aimlessly through the weeds and debris on the mountain. Some of the prisoners saw me and screamed. I was frightened and in a daze and I just started running . . . and running. I ran through someone and I screamed. It was terrifying."

Kalin got up and walked over to the other bed. "This really happened? It wasn't just in your dream?"

"I didn't remember at first, but yes, it was real." Radley was trembling now. "I ran down to the cemetery and I saw all the people who died in the mines. They were standing by their graves. They all looked at me with this horrible, dead look in their eyes and pointed their fingers at me. . . . And I was screaming, ‘No, it wasn't me! It wasn't my fault! It was Malcolm!' But they kept silently accusing me. I turned and ran again. They didn't try to follow me, but I could feel them there . . . just standing . . . watching. . . . And maybe they were right. Maybe it was my fault. If I had just given the town to Malcolm in the first place, there wouldn't have been dueling for new labor. Maybe he would have just hired people normally and not treated them even worse than animals. . . ." He dug a hand into his hair. "What did I do? What did I cause?!"

"Radley." Kalin gripped the other man's shoulder. "Malcolm is a snake. I don't think things would have been better without you. He and Lawton love sadism and total control. I think if there hadn't been duels to pick new labor, Malcolm would have simply taken what he wanted and forced the town to work for him. Maybe even the kids." He shook away a terrible image of Nico and West as slaves in the mine, struggling to lift dyne nuggets and even wearing shock collars. "It doesn't make what you did right, but it means it's not so cut-and-dry as all that."

Radley slowly turned to look up at him. "You really think that?"

Kalin nodded. "Crash Town was a mess, but it could have been even worse. At least with the duels, people agreed to the terms. If the dead were really accusing you, I don't think that was right. I think it was only because of you that things didn't spiral completely out of control. Nico and West told me how Malcolm and Lawton started ruling with an iron fist as soon as you were not a threat to them anymore." He hesitated. "And I'll go out there and tell that to all of the spirits."

Radley started. "Then they'll all turn on you!"

"Maybe," Kalin said. "Maybe not."

Radley sighed, heavily. "You really are serious about being a good friend now. It's not just anyone who would quite willingly face an army of the dead to defend someone's honor."

"It's not just that," Kalin said. "It sounds like they can't move on. I want them to be able to go on and not be stalled by their anger and vengeance." Quieter he added, "I know all too well what that's like."

"Oh," said Radley. "I see."

"That doesn't mean I'm not concerned about you too," Kalin said in chagrin, realizing how it sounded. "I want you to be at peace as well. I am serious about being a good friend, Radley. Do you want to talk any more about what happened to you?"

"I don't remember much else," Radley said. "I ran back to where I . . . my . . . my body was. By that time they were getting Jordan out of the mine and everyone was preparing to go down the mountain. Billy had come up the mountain to see what was going on and he . . . he saw my body. He fell to his knees in tears, begging my forgiveness for not helping me when I went to him in desperation. I tried to tell him it was alright, that I understood his fear of Lawton, but . . . he couldn't hear me. That's the last thing I remember before wandering through the darkness and hearing your voice."

Kalin stared at him, stunned. "So it was Billy himself who was that upset," he breathed.

Radley looked at him in confusion. "What?"

"Billy told me about that happening, but he didn't say he was the one involved," Kalin explained.

Radley sighed. "Poor Billy. . . . The doctor said I can get out of here tomorrow. I'll have to go find him."

"I'm not sure he's planning to stay in town," Kalin said. "But he'll probably stay until he knows you're completely alright. You should still have someone with you to help you when you're released; I'll come with you."

"I'm alright, really," Radley insisted. "Just a little weak. But . . . thank you, Kalin." He looked away. "I wonder how and why I can really feel so forgiving when they all really did abandon me."

"Maybe because you saw their grief?" Kalin suggested. "And you understood what it was to be afraid of Malcolm and Lawton. You're feeling guilty yourself for any part you had that led to this mess."

"Maybe," Radley agreed. "Or maybe for all of my supposed worldliness and business expertise, I'm really nothing more than a squishy marshmallow."

"You were bitter and hurt about how I treated you until you really grasped the situation and could believe I've changed," Kalin said. "I don't think you just blindly accept people if you've been hurt; you have to understand them first."

"I suppose that makes sense," Radley mused. "I'd rather think of it like that, at least." He fell silent, staring at the wall. Somehow the quiet was very loud.

". . . Something else is bothering you," Kalin noted.

Radley hesitated again. ". . . Why was I stranded the way I was?" he blurted. "Why didn't I go on to an afterlife? Or . . . is that all there is, Kalin?! Wandering through the places we've known like phantoms in the night?! Maybe occasionally, accidentally scaring someone we once knew in life?!"

"I've seen that there are not-so-pleasant afterlives," Kalin said. "There must be good ones too. I don't know why you were stranded. Maybe because it just wasn't your time to go?"

Radley sighed. "I'd rather think it's that than that not even the afterlife wants me."

Sadness flickered in Kalin's eyes at that comment. Radley's family rejecting him had dug in deep. So had the abandonment of everyone else. Even if he understood it, that didn't necessarily make it easy to accept. Perhaps even just subconsciously, feeling so alone and rejected by all the people he cared about had been part of what had made it so hard for him to have much will to live when he had teetered on the brink of death in a coma. Maybe Kalin rejecting him before had also caused some of the wounds. That thought sickened him. There was nothing he could do about the past, but at least he could stand by his friend now.

"I don't think it's that," he said.

"Hmm, well, at least I hope it will be a long time before I find out," Radley quipped. Another hesitation. "Kalin . . . do you mind if I ask you a morbid question?"

"I won't know until you ask it," Kalin said. "But we both know I'm used to being morbid."

". . . Since our relationship wasn't the best, how did you feel when you found me dead?"

Kalin froze. Somehow he had not expected that. But it was a legitimate question, he supposed. One wouldn't be likely to wonder that when it came to a loved one. But when they hadn't been close, that would add another uncomfortable layer to the situation.

". . . I was horrified," he said. "Struck with guilt. I'd thought you were alive and you'd be set free with the other prisoners. I thought about how you'd just been left behind and I hadn't really given you a second thought. I felt that it was my fault you were dead." He paused. "And I was stunned that you had died trying to save someone. I didn't think you would do that. I knew you weren't like Malcolm and Lawton, but everything seemed to be business to you. I didn't fully see that you loved your gang like a family. I had never grasped that you had wanted to be friends with me. Everything was clear to me then and it all came rushing over me all at once. It was . . . truly devastating."

Radley sighed, wearily. "It must have been hard for you to tell me all of that. But . . . thank you." He chuckled. "You know, I was surprised myself by what I did. I didn't think I had that much heart left in me."

"Looks like we were both wrong," Kalin said. "But I think your boys always saw it. That's why they were happy to follow you."

"You may be right," Radley mused. "I did think they cared about me. It hurt when none of them stood up for me against Lawton, although I wasn't surprised."

Kalin sighed. "You should probably try to get to sleep again or the doctor might not let you go today."

"I'm alright." Radley laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. "I might not sleep anyway."

"Are you still upset about what you dreamed?" Kalin asked.

Radley gave a weak laugh. "How I wish it was only a dream and that it hadn't really happened. I thought I was frightened when we were sent to the mines. It was nothing compared to the sheer terror I felt as an Earthbound spirit."

Kalin laid a hand on his shoulder. After a moment Radley reached up and gripped it. "Thank you, Kalin, for staying," he said quietly. "You didn't have to. But I . . . I didn't want to be all alone. . . ." His voice shook a bit.

"I know," Kalin said.

****

To Radley's relief, he was still allowed to leave the following day. He wasted little time in grabbing his jacket and heading out of his room, Kalin swiftly following. But instead of immediately heading for the exit, Radley first turned towards Jordan's room to check in on him. Slightly surprised, but quickly adapting, Kalin followed.

"Hello," Jordan greeted as they came to the doorway. "I hear you're getting out, Radley."

"That's right," Radley said. "Hopefully you'll be able to follow me soon."

"I plan on it," Jordan said.

Nico and West, who were coloring at the table, both looked up in delight. "Kalin!" West beamed. He got down and went over to his friend.

Kalin smiled at him. "Hello, West." It still quite amazed him how much the kids idolized him and had seen the goodness in him when he had felt at his lowest point. But he was certainly grateful; without that innocent acceptance, he might not have finally started to see the light.

Nico came over as well. "Hi, Kalin, Mr. Radley."

Greetings were exchanged all around and everyone visited for a few minutes before Radley called it quits and bade them all Goodbye. He slipped into his jacket as he and Kalin headed for the side door. The front entrance was off-limits, still damaged from Lawton's attempt to blow it up.

"They're a nice family," Radley wistfully mused.

"They are," Kalin agreed.

"I always liked them. I can't say Jordan was a good duelist, but he tried. If Malcolm hadn't abused him so seriously, he probably would have made a good miner for a long time." Radley's expression darkened.

Kalin was angry too. So much senseless cruelty and so many lives damaged or even lost, all because of such immense greed and selfishness. . . .

He started back to the present as they stepped outside. All of the Bunch had gathered to welcome Radley back. Radley raised an eyebrow in some surprise. "Everyone . . ."

Billy stood in front, hesitant and still looking unsure to be there. "Radley . . ." He swallowed hard and blinked back tears. "It's really you! . . . I mean, we were all told Kalin brought you back to life, but . . . even hearing it, it still sounded so hard to believe after . . . after we . . ." He shook his head, unable to finish.

"After you saw me lying dead?" Radley supplied.

Billy weakly nodded.

Marty came forward. "Nothing can ever make up for what we didn't do," he said sadly. "We failed you, all because we were too scared to stand up to those creeps! If we'd all banded together, we probably could have taken them! When they took you, we lost all heart."

Radley sighed. He had been trying to decide how he would react if or when he saw everyone again, and Kalin could see that he was still struggling a bit. But finally he said, "Nothing will take away what was done, it's true. It will probably always hurt. But . . . I understand why it happened. Lawton was intimidating, to say the least. We're still a family. All of you . . . stay and help me and Kalin rebuild Crash Town. Please."

Billy stared at him in disbelieving awe. "Really, Radley? You mean that?"

Radley nodded. "Everyone should have a family that will welcome them back no matter what they've done. Everyone deserves a true home. All of you still have one here."

Billy broke, sobbing in relief and joy and amazement. The others clearly shared similar feelings. They gathered around Radley with hope and happiness.

Kalin stepped back with a faint smile. Things would be alright. Not perfect, never perfect, but alright. Even happy.

Radley reached and pulled Kalin into the circle as well. "You're part of the family too, Kalin," he insisted.

Kalin started. He had never really considered himself part of the Bunch, but he wanted to be Radley's friend now, so that alone included him. And he was alright with that.

Another movement brought his attention further up. The former Malcolm Crewmembers were also there, standing apart from the Bunch. Radley's group crowded close to him, protective and suspicious. Kalin, however, saw that there was nothing but relief in the others' eyes.

"We're glad you're alright too, Radley," Rick spoke at last.

Radley looked over, stunned. "You are?"

"We never agreed with what Malcolm was doing, but we couldn't get away," Rick said, and the others nodded in agreement.

"I see," Radley said. "I'm . . . glad to know that."

The Bunch slowly relaxed, the suspicion and hostility disappearing, for the most part, from their eyes.

Kalin relaxed too. Maybe now, if the two opposing factions could finally agree on something, the town was more on its way to true healing at last.


End file.
